Back up a few days….

I am writing this with no real hope of posting for at least two days.   No internet connection here in Montalcino (Mont al chino).  I have a fantastic view out my little window, but no elevators, no internet and, the true test, tonight we will start at dinner time with tasting the local wines. 

I need to back track a bit – 5 days or so actually – and tell you more about Arezzo and the Joust – Giostra del Saracino – This years was the 120th festival - 2 a year for 60 years – restarted in 1930 these are re-enactment of joust from the 12 – to 1500s.  There were three days of functions – activities like the qualification of horse and Knight, and the prayer at the Duomo to ask for their protection.

I want to say that this was  Fun, fun, FUN.  Arezzo is beautiful, has some nice restaurants (Ristorantes) and the pageantry, costumes, seriousness of the fans - helped to make us feel that we were truly in medieval times.  The city is divided into 4 quadrants.  Each has its own colors, flags, banners, two horses, two Knights, a marching band (drums and trumpets), and friends and family that come out in full dress to support their knight.  One full day was taken up with meetings within the quadrants of all fans for the knights and the colors.  Regular tourists - like us - choose a color to cheer and wore shirts and/or scarves with the colors or banners clearly shown.  Leneira chose the green and white and I the red and blue – because I liked the horses of the red and blue and as luck would have it My TEAM Won!!!! lah, li, LA, lah, la, LA!!!

 

Sunday afternoon, just as the sun was setting behind us the main piazza filled with cheering crowds and the games began.  hope you enjoy the photos -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried to select special photos – but there were so many – I think I took 600+ photos of this pageant and do not have my computer to look closely at them, so  I hope these look okay when you see them on your computer. 

 

***It didn’t take two days – I am stealing internet connection  - probably from the expensive hotel just to the west of us and our ‘normal’ peoples B&B.